Drawer-lock



2 Sheets-$11995 1. L. 0. BROWN. DRAWER LOOK.

(No Model.)

Patented Sept. 26, 1893.

of INVENTEJIFQI WTNEEISEEI' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Patented Sept. 26, 1893.

L O B R O W N. DRAWER LOCK.

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06 NVE NTIJRI \A/ITNEEEES:

UNrTED STATES PATENT Orricnl LEANDER O. BROVN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

DRAWER-LOG K.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 505,799, dated September 26, 1893.

Application filed January 28, 1893. Serial No. 460,016. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEANDER 0. BROWN, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drawer-Locks, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a lock for securing a set of drawers, whereby manipulation at one place serves to look all the drawers. The construction may be such that the opening and closin g of the top drawer unlocks and locks the other drawers, so that,

by securing the top drawer, all the other drawers will be secured: or the construction may be such that the opening andclosing of the lid of a chest may unlock and look a set of drawers in the chest: or the construction may be such that the manipulation of a single key will lock and unlock all the drawers simultaneously. Thus the invention may be embodied in numerous different forms, and I have not attempted to illustrate all the constructions by which it may be carried out.

The accompanying drawings illustrate three different forms in which the invention may .be embodied.

Figure 1 shows a sectional view of a set of drawers so arranged that the top drawer controls the others; the top drawer in this view is shown closed. Fig. 2 shows asimilar view, in which the top drawer is represented as drawn out sufficiently to release the other drawers. Figs. 3 and 4. show sectional views of the bottom of a drawer and a portion of the locking-bar, serving to illustrate a construction by which any one of the drawers may be disconnected from the looking apparatus and operated independently thereof. Fig. 5 shows'a sectional view of a portion of a chest containing a set of drawers which are arranged to be lockedv and unlocked by the closing and opening of the lid of the chest; in this view, the lid is shown raised. Fig. 6 shows a similar view, in which the lid is'closed.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

The letter a designates the outer casing of a desk or other piece of furniture, containing a number of slides a for a set of drawers. The top drawer b has a plate b secured to its bottom and projecting from its rear end, and each of the other drawers b has a resilient strip 11 fitting a groove in its bottom and arranged to slide therein, being confined by suitable keepers b". This resilient strip b has a projection b on the upper side, which engages a depression in a plate b secured on the bottom of the groove in the drawer, and the strip is thereby held in a position where its rear end projects from the back of the drawer; this projecting end of the strip has an opening b through it. By means of a knob b on the under side of the strip 19 the said strip may be pulled down, by reason of its resiliency, until the projection 12 is released from the depression in the plate I), and the strip may he slid forward, as illustrated in Fig. 4, until its projecting rear end is wholly Withdrawn under the bottom of the drawer. The purpose of this construction will be hereinafter explained.

A vertical locking-bar c engages grooves in the rear ends of the slides a, and is confined therein by keepers c. The said bar is formed with a series of lateral catches 0 which are arranged to engage the openings b 'respeob ively in the strips b when the bar 0 is depressed, and to be disengaged from said openings when the bar is raised. 'A spiral spring 0 is placed on the bar 0, and holds the latter normally elevated in a position where its lat-- eral catches are disengaged from the strips b one end of the said spring bearing against a stationary support 0 and the other end bearing against a collar c on the bar 0. A transverse pin 0 limits the upward movement of the bar, by encounteringone of the slides a. The bar 0 projects above the top slide a, and has a lateral arm 0 with an inclined top edge 0 When the top drawer b is closed, the plate 19 secured to its bottom encounters the inclined top edge e of the lateral arm 0 and thereby depresses the bar 0, which causes the lateral catches a to enter the openings b in the strips b and look all the drawers 1). Therefore, when the top drawer is secured by a suitable look, all the other drawers are held closed by the locking-bar c. When the top drawer is opened, the spring 0 returns the bar 0 to its elevated position, as shown in Fig. 2, and releases all the other drawers. By manipulating the knob 12 in the manner heretofore described, any one of the drawers 1) may be thrown out of relation with the lockingbar a and opened or closed independently thereof. To prevent tampering with the drawers b by manipulation of the knobs b guard-strips d shown in Figs. 1 and 2 are fastened on the upper side of each of the slides a and extend to the rear end of the drawer, whereby they will effectually obstruct access to the knob b from either side.

The outer edges of the lateral catches on the locking-bar c are beveled; and, by reason of the resiliency of the strips b any one. of the drawers 19' maybe closed andlocked after the top drawer has been closed and the locking-bar c depressed thereby, for the end of the resilient strip 12 will encounter the beveled outer edge of the lateral catch 0 and will be sprung down thereby until the opening b arrives ata position to receive the catch, and then the strip will resume its normal position and the drawer will be locked.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate the invention applied to a chest containing a set of drawers and having a hinged lid or cover. The arrangement of the drawers and locking-bar is the same as that shown in Figs. 1 and 2; but, in the present case, the locking-bar 0 projects up through the top of the chest, so as to be encountered by a bearing-plate e on the lid f 0f the chest. When the said lid is closed, the locking-bar is depressed, and locks the drawers, in the manner heretofore described.

When the lid is raised, the spring 0 raises the locking-bar and releases the drawers.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A drawer-lock, comprising in its construction a locking-bar-movable in the direc tion of its length, and provided with a series of lateral catches; strips 'on a number of drawers, constructed for engagement with said lateral catches on the locking-bar; and movable out of operative position and means for operating said bar.

2. A drawer-lock, comprising in its construction a locking-bar movable in the direction of its length, and provided with a series of lateral catches; resilient strips arranged to slide in grooves on a number of drawers and provided with projections which engage depressions in the grooves, and also constructed for engagement with the lateral catches on the locking-bar; and means for operating said bar.

In t'estilnonywhereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 19th day of January, A. D. 1893.

LEANDER 0. BROWN.

Witnesses:

J. M. BROWN, 0. F. BROWN. 

